WHEREAS it is necessary in the national interest that the Federal Government encourage high attainment by students in secondary schools, both public and private, throughout the Nation, and

WHEREAS national recognition of scholastic attainments will tend to enhance the accomplishments of such students generally and their potential after graduation:

NOW, THEREFORE, by virtue of the authority vested in me as President of the United States, it is ordered as follows:

Section 1. There is hereby established the Commission on Presidential Scholars (hereinafter referred to as the Commission). The Commission shall be composed of such members as the President may appoint from time to time from among appropriately qualified citizens of the United States. The person chosen each year, with the cooperation of the Commissioner of Education, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare,1 as National Teacher of the Year shall be one of the members of the Commission for a period terminating one year after the date of his or her selection as National Teacher of the Year or at such earlier time as a next-succeeding National Teacher of the Year is chosen. The President shall designate one of the members as chairman of the Commission. Members of the Commission shall serve at the pleasure of the President and without compensation from the United States.

Sec. 2. The Commission, in accordance with such standards and procedures as it may prescribe and on the basis of its independent judgment, shall annually choose Presidential Scholars, subject to the following:

(1) The Presidential Scholars shall be chosen from among persons who have recently been graduated, or are about to be graduated, from secondary schools, public or private.

(2) They shall be chosen on the basis of their outstanding scholarship.

(3) One boy and one girl shall be chosen as Presidential Scholars from each of the following, namely:

(i) Each State of the United States.

(ii) The District of Columbia.

(iii) The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

(iv) The following, collectively: American Samoa, Canal Zone, Guam, Virgin Islands, Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, and, if the Commission in its discretion shall so determine, other places overseas. In respect of the said other places overseas, only children whose parents are citizens of the United States shall be eligible to be chosen hereunder as Presidential Scholars from those places.

(4) In addition to the 106 Presidential Scholars provided for in paragraph (3), above, the Commission may choose other Presidential Scholars, not exceeding fifteen in number for any one year, to be chosen at large from the jurisdictions referred to in that paragraph.

(5) In addition to the Presidential Scholars provided for in paragraphs (3) and (4) above, the Commission may choose other Presidential Scholars not exceeding twenty in any one year. These Scholars shall be chosen at large, from the jurisdictions referred to in paragraph (3), on the basis of outstanding scholarship and demonstrated ability and accomplishment in the visual and performing arts or in creative writing.

Sec. 3. There is hereby established the Presidential Scholars Medallion which shall be of such design and material as the President shall approve and shall be presented to each Presidential Scholar chosen by the Commission under this order.

Sec. 4. As necessary and subject to law, the Office of Education, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, shall facilitate, or make arrangements for facilitating the carrying out of the purposes of this order.

1Editorial note: The functions of the Education Division within the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare were transferred to the Department of Education by Pub. L. 96-88 (93 Stat. 695, 20 U.S.C. 3508).